Wolfpack edge Wasilla girls

WASILLA — The Wasilla girls opened their season with a 4-2 loss to West Valley, but Warriors head coach Patrick O’Neill left the field encouraged about his team.

“We played really well,” O’Neill said.

Both teams are defending region champions. Wasilla won the Northern Lights Conference, and West Valley captured the Mid-Alaska crown last season. O’Neill said he felt his team may have been a little behind in its season opener.

“They had that game against Colony (Thursday). That might have given them a little edge,” O’Neill said. “This was our first time outside on a big field. It was a great game against a top-flight team. But it was our first game outside.”

Kiara Simpson scored all four goals for the Wolfpack to help her team improve to 2-0 this season. West Valley beat Colony 2-1 on Friday.

Reese Sande and Ally Hull scored for the Warriors. After West Valley took a 2-0 lead into the break, Sande cut West Valley’s lead in half. Sande, a freshman, took a diagonal pass from Hull and tucked it in the inside post. Simpson scored her third goal for West Valley two minutes later to give West Valley the 3-1 lead.

Hull scored Wasilla’s second goal of the game. Sande fed a ball to Abby Crawford, who sent a touch pass to Hull.

Hull ripped a shot to cut West Valley’s lead to 3-2.

Simpson was able to score a fourth time to make it 4-2.

Simpson scored a pair of goals in the first half off corner kicks.

“Scrambles,” O’Neill said.

West Valley completed the sweep with a 7-0 win over the Wasilla boys. Mekni Omnik recorded the shutout for the Wolfpack.

East girls 4, Palmer 0

East Anchorage scored a 4-0 nonconference win over Palmer Thursday night at Palmer High School.

The Moose boys and girls open NLC play Tuesday night, hosting Wasilla at PHS. The girls play at 5 p.m. and the boys play at 7.

Contact Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman sports editor Jeremiah Bartz at sports@frontiersman.com.